The most modern supercars seem somehow less special when you consider how cool they could have been. Maybe I’d like the Audi R8 if it had the Procon-Ten safety system instead of airbags, or UFO brakes instead of vented rotors. With the history of the “car” as we know it spanning over a century and every corner of the planet, it doesn’t surprise me that Jack Nicholson was driving around in a hydrogen-powered Chevrolet in the 70s, or that Ferdinand Porsche probably stole the idea for the Volkswagen (Beetle) from his close friend and Tatra engineer, Hans Ledwinka. Hell, Ferdinand Porsche’s first design was the Lohner-Porsche Mixte, an all-electric all-wheel drive car made in 1899. His second added an onboard generator, just like the Chevrolet Volt.
A case for strange cars
June 28, 2009The most modern supercars seem somehow less special when you consider how cool they could have been. Maybe I’d like the Audi R8 if it had the Procon-Ten safety system instead of airbags, or UFO brakes instead of vented rotors. With the history of the “car” as we know it spanning over a century and every corner of the planet, it doesn’t surprise me that Jack Nicholson was driving around in a hydrogen-powered Chevrolet in the 70s, or that Ferdinand Porsche probably stole the idea for the Volkswagen (Beetle) from his close friend and Tatra engineer, Hans Ledwinka. Hell, Ferdinand Porsche’s first design was the Lohner-Porsche Mixte, an all-electric all-wheel drive car made in 1899. His second added an onboard generator, just like the Chevrolet Volt.